This project provides Master's-level students in Statistics with an opportunity to carry out a placement in another organisation (industry, government, etc.), and to present their investigation in the form of a dissertation.

Supervisory meetings to be arranged throughout the summer semester (15 hours total), with additional writing and presentation skills seminars throughout the year (20 hours total).

Statistics Project and Dissertation (STATS5029P)

Interim assessment (20%, including a presentation and mini-viva) + dissertation (80%).

This course aims to provide students with an opportunity to practice their data-analytic skills acquired on the programme. It is intended that most project focus on the analysis of a complex real-world data set using advanced data analytic methods and/or on the development of software to carry out complex data-analytic tasks. The course also aims to train students in discussing their work with others, presenting it to an audience and synthesising conclusions in a report.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. design and execute a project plan for an appropriate data analysis or software development project;

2. investigate and discuss the merits and risks involved in the approach taken as well as other strategies that could have been employed;

3. integrate and consolidate the knowledge and skills they have gained from other components of their degree programme;

4. implement and/or use both standard and advanced data analytic methods in a real-world context;

5. critically reflect upon their work discussing assumptions and limitations;

6. present key results and conclusions to both technical and non technical audiences; and

7. document their work and synthesise and write up results and conclusions in a concise report.

8. defend their analysis and conclusions in a mini-viva.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.